STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The New Brighton man accused of shooting his childhood friend in the head by mistake has been ordered locked up without bail as he awaits grand jury action against him.

Drew M. Casseus, 19, was arraigned yesterday in Stapleton Criminal Court on murder and other charges stemming from the Dec. 28 shooting death of Jonathan (Beans) Vazquez, also 19.

Investigators believe Casseus pulled a gun to help Vazquez during a Dec. 28 street fight and started shooting. One of the bullets hit Vazquez’s assailant in the leg, police said, but another hit Vazquez in the head, killing him.

Casseus’ lawyer, Eugene Lamb, said yesterday that his client denies the charges against him.

“He denies having killed this guy. He absolutely denies it, either intentionally or accidentally,” Lamb said, suggesting that the fatal bullet may have come from someone else at the scene. “He said there were a lot of shots. There were shots all over the place.”

Casseus faces two counts of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, as well as single counts of second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault. He’s due to return to court Feb. 1.